LEWIS MCCANN joked that he didn't know how to react to the Pars becoming League One champions on Saturday.

The forward was almost lost for words after their 5-0 win over Queen of the South confirmed top spot with three games to go, and an instant return to the Championship for next season.

Northern Ireland under-21 cap McCann, a product of the Fife Elite Football Academy, produced assists for both Matty Todd and Craig Wighton to score at KDM Group East End Park as the Pars secured their crown in fine style.

The joyous scenes amongst the home players and supporters were in stark contrast to 12 months ago, which saw Dunfermline fight, and ultimately lose, their battle to avoid relegation from the second tier, after being defeated in the Championship play-off, semi-final, by Queen's Park.

"To be honest, this compared to last season...it's just, wow. It's amazing," McCann said after the game.

"Obviously, this is my first league win, so I don't really know how to react, but it feels brilliant. Just doing it with this group of boys...it's just brilliant.

"The gaffer said just go out, enjoy it, play your football – it doesn't matter about other games, don't focus on it. Just go out, play your stuff, and we'll come away with whatever. I think that put us in a good place and, as you saw, we went out and put in probably one of our best performances of the season.

"So much credit to the boys. It's just unreal, the consistency we've had throughout the season. That goes down to the coaching staff, the people all around here; from the bottom to the top, it's been brilliant all season."

With three games to go, Dunfermline have suffered just one loss, at Montrose in October, and are on a 21-match unbeaten league run, which McCann described as "not half bad" and "a bit surreal".

Clinching the championship crown felt better than the 21-year-old had imagined – even if he said "I just can't put it into words" – but said that the backing from the stands has been as consistent as the performances from the team on the field have been.

"As well as us being consistent, they've been consistently good all season, out in their numbers, wherever we go," he continued.

"You saw 1,400 or something at Peterhead (last Tuesday evening) – what a turn out that is for a three hour drive.

"It just goes to show that, week in, week out, it just helps us massively, the backing from them. No matter what, if we're winning, losing, it just feels brilliant, and gives you confidence to play your best stuff."